If former Boston Celtics center and current analyst Kendrick Perkins is correct in his recalling of how a certain conversation of his with the last President of Basketball Operations of the Celtics went, rumors of Boston All-Star forward Jaylen Brown being part of trade talks with the Houston Rockets were perhaps a bit less serious than some fans might have thought.
The champion big man recently related he’d spoken with then-team president Danny Ainge about a potential Brown-for-Harden swap last season when the possibility of such a move was still in the cards ahead of his eventual trade to the Brooklyn Nets.
“I remember last year around this time when teams were calling about James Harden and Houston actually wanted Jaylen Brown,” Perkins said on a recent episode of NBC Sports Boston’s “Celtics Pregame Live” show (h/t NBC’s Justin Leger).
Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka cited the team’s 25 turnovers and the Raptor’s offensive board proficiency for the loss Friday. https://t.co/WtlR8td6A6
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 24, 2021
“I was on the phone with Danny Ainge for an hour, and I remember how our conversation went,” said Perkins.
“He was like, ‘Hey, Perk, would you trade Jaylen Brown for James Harden?’ And I was like, ‘Danny, you know how I feel about Jaylen Brown, but I would trade him for James Harden.’ He was like, ‘ Are you kidding me? He’s not going anywhere.”
“He’s not even 25 and he keeps getting better,’” reportedly added Ainge.
The Celtics legend tells the story of how the Black players of the Celtics sat out a game after being refused service at the hotel cafe. https://t.co/eLGLHJ45Sl
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 24, 2021
And while he might have had a bit of an off night against the Toronto Raptors, his career-high 46 points in the season opener to the New York Knicks is a solid reminder of what Ainge was alluding to.
“Jaylen Brown is a true professional, he works hard, and people say he’s under-appreciated, but I would say people appreciate him now,” related Perk.
It’s easy to wonder what might have been, but given there are 29 teams in the league that would happily offer up hefty trade packages to get Brown on their roster, we’re inclined to agree,
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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